Signaling device.



G. H. MORGAN.

SIGNALING DEVICE. APPLIUATION FILED Nov.1o, 1909` Patented June '7 .vilav vllllfil. Il IIIIIIIIIIII.

GEORGE H. MORGAN, OF BELLEVILLE, KANSAS. I

SIGNALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 10, 1909.

Patented June l?, 1910.

Serial No. 527,250.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. MORGAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Belleville, in the county of Republic and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Signaling Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in signaling devices which are especially adapted for use in connection with railroad cars.

A signal flag, as is generally employed, consists of a piece of colored hunting which is secured to an ordinary wooden stalf. The flag, due to rough handling, soon becomes worn, and also, soon assumes a much faded appearance, due to the unnecessary exposure to all kinds of weather. Thus the flags have to be replaced in a very little while.

The rincipal object of the invention is to provide a device which will keep the bunting clean, and also preserve it in a smooth condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described consisting of a holder for a plurality of flags, the holder being adapted to be readily engaged with or disengaged from a socket which is carried by railroad cars, and the flags being adapted to be readily furled or rolled up within the holder, as desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a holder having separate flag compartments, each compartment being provided with doors which, when shut, will positively exclude dust, rain, snow, or the like therefrom.

A still further object is to provide a liag shaft or support, of a novel construction which will readily permit of the flags being readily interchanged as desired.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a holder, which is extremely simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and easy of manipulat-ion.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacri- 1gicing any of the advantages of the invenion.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention, showing one door opened, and a Hag partly unfurled. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the device. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View of the device, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the device, taken on the line l-l of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a perspective View of one of the flag supports.

Like reference numerals designate corresponding arts in all the figures of the drawing. Where the parts constituting this invention appear in duplicate, a description of one will be given and it may refer to both.

Referring to the drawing, the invention comprises a preferably downwardly tapered tubular staff 6 which is closed at the upper end by a substantially elliptical plate 7, the marginal edge thereof preferably extending beyond the said staff. This plate constitutes a base or support for a vertically arranged division plate 8 which is centrally located thereon and extends diametrically across the said plate 7. One of the edges of the division plate is provided with a longitudinal bead 9 in which is preferably arranged a reinforcing wire. The plate, at the other edOe, is provided with integral and oppositelBy-extending longitudinal ears 11, to which doors 12 are connected by hinge members 13 of any suitable type. These doors are substantially semi-circular in shape, and are provided at their' free edges with longitudinal eyes or beads lll, in which are preferably arranged reinforcing wires. A substantially elliptical top plate 16 of substantially the same size as the lower plate 7, is carried by the division plate 8. The free ends of the doors are bent inwardly so that when the doors are shut, the longitudinal beads 14 thereof will engage the plate 8 behind the bead 9, and thereby form a tight joint. It will thus be noted that the division plate forms a common engaging means for both of the doors, and also forms a division for two vertically parallel compartments.

Spring metal clips 17 are carried by the bead 9 of the division plate 8, project in opposite directions therefrom, and are each provided near their free ends with openings llC 18. The doors 12 are provided with outstanding pins 19 which are adapted, when the doors are closed, to engage the openings 18 of the spring clip, and thereby hold the door or doors, as the case may be, against outward movement.

Respectively formed in both the bottom plate 7 and the top plate 16, are openings 20. These openings are centrally arranged with respect to the con'ipartments and are adapted to form bearings for flag shafts or supports 21. The opposite ends of the shaft are provided with bearing collars 22 adapted to bear against the said plates. r1`he shaft 21 is provided with a longitudinally arranged spring arm 23 which is preferably formed integral with the said shaft. The end 24 of the spring arm terminates some distance below the collar 22 which is directly below the top plate 1G. The hem 25 of the flag 2G is slipped over the spring' arm 23 and the said arm is clamped to the shaft 21 by means of a collar 27 which is slidably mounted to .engage both the spring -arms and the shaft. The said shaft extends through the top casing 16 and terminates in a crank arm 28.

From the foregoing, it will be readily ap parent that should a fiag of a certain color be desired to be displayed, it is only necessary to open the door and unfurl the flag. Should it be desired to display a flag of some .other color, the first-mentioned fla-g can be quickly rolled up within this compartment by means of the crank arm 2S and the other flag quickly unfurled. It will also be noted that many combinations can be used in this device, such as red and white, red and green, white and red, white and green, etc. By providing the compartments with hinged doors, it makes it possible to readily interchange flags of different colors, and also keeps the said flags in a smooth and clean condition, owing to the fact that the doors when locked, render the compartment weather-proof.

Cars of all kinds, including engines, cabooses, passenger, and freight cars, are generally equipped with sockets adapted to receive the flag now in general use. The present invention can be readily applied to any of the above described cars, the staff G being adapted to be readily inserted in any of the sockets of said cars.

That 1 claim is 1. A signaling device comprising a casing having a plurality of compartments, doors respectively hinged to and forming part of the casing for closing the said compartments, and flag holding shafts respectively mounted for rotation in each compartment.

2. A signaling device comprising a casing having a division plate centrally arranged therein to form parallel compartments, doors for the compartments respectively hinged to one edge of the plate, the other edge of the plate forming a common engaging means for the free edges of the doors, and flag holding shafts respectively mounted for rotation in each compartment.

3. A signaling device comprising a casing having a plurality of compartments, doors respectively hinged to and forming part of the casing for closing the said compartments, common means for locking the said doors against movement, flag holdin shafts respectively mounted for rotation in each compartment, and a supporting staif depending from said casing.

4t. A signaling device comprising a casing having top and bottom plates, a division plate centrally mounted between the said plates to form compartments, substantially semi-circular doors respectively hinged to one edge of the division plate for closing the compartments, the free ends of the doors coacting with the free edge of the division plate, locking means for the doors carried by the division plate, and flag holding shafts respectively mounted for rotation in each compartment.

5. A signaling device comprising top and bottom plates, a division plate centrally mounted between the said plates to form compartments, said top and bottom platesV being respectively provided With alined openings which are arranged centrally with respect to each compartment, doors respectively hinged to one edge of the division plate for closing the compartments, and flag holding shafts respectively arranged in each compartment and journaled in the said alined openings.

G. A signaling device comprising top and bottom plates, a division plate centrally mounted between the said plates to form compartments, said top and bottom plates being respectively provided with alined openings which are arranged centrally with respect to each compartment, doors respectively hinged to one edge of the division plate for closing the compartments, flag holding shafts respectively arranged in each compartment and journaled in the said alined openings and terminating beyond the casing in a crank arm, said shaft having a flag-engaging spring arm integrally connected thereto and extending longitudinally thereof but terminating short of the top plate, and a means for clamping the flag between the shaft and the spring arm.

7. A signaling' device comprising a casing having substantially elliptical-shaped top and bottom plates, a division plate centrally mounted on said plates to form compartments, said division plate having a longitudinal reinforcing bead formed on one edge, substantially senii-circular doors respectively hinged to the other edge of the division plate for closing the compartments,

the free ends of the doors being inwardly In testimony, that I claim the foregoing Curved and provided With reinforcing beads as my own, I have hereto affixed my signa- 10 and adaptled to cact With tlllle edge of the ture in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

division ate to orm a ti t en agement,

a plurality of spring oatohgs carriiid by the GEORGE H' MORGAN' division plate for looking the doors in a Witnesses:

Closed position, and a flag holding shaft ro- WM. G. SGHAEFER,

tatably mounted Within each compartment. MONTE L. HILL. 

